Educational Programs

Our primary school in the rural community of Lamardelle provides a high-quality education for 330 children each year. From preschool through 6th grade, our students receive an education that will give them the foundation to build better lives for themselves, their families and their community.

Guiding Philosophy

FEJ believes that high-quality educational programs for children and their families are achievable on a national scale. We strive to be a model of excellence in childcare and education. Our guiding philosophy is that we view all people, children and families, as engaged in their own developmental process and deserving of our respect and care.

Founded 30 years ago, the school – Institution Mixte Lucienne A. Duncan (IMLD) – was designed to serve the growing needs for education and childcare in the Lamardelle region and the surrounding areas. Our goal is to facilitate the development of children and strengthen and support their families. Institution Mixte Lucienne A. Duncan is community-based and serves as an extension of the family’s child rearing. Fulfillment of this role necessitates that we exceed the minimum criteria mandated by the government.

Integrated Services in Child Care, Family Support, and Community Development

IMLD is a model of quality and innovation in childcare services. It is also one of the oldest existing schools in the region. As a result, the school is visited every year by dozens of interested parties, including national organizations working to establish child care programs and international groups and individuals interested in learning more about childcare.

FEJ is committed to developing a model program and community service center that uses the school facility to strengthen and support families. IMLD currently hosts parent meetings and conferences. It also supports ongoing parent-teacher communication and the dissemination of critical information to the community. For example, a key focus of the school program is the severe malnutrition of our students. Malnutrition often stems from a lack of knowledge, not a lack of food. Thus, nutritional education – teaching people the best foods to use from readily available sources – remains a major component of our nutrition program. By educating parents and the community on the importance of good nutrition – and also exploring ways to increase food availability – FEJ ensures that children not only survive but that they lead healthy and vibrant lives.

The school also serves as a training center for community members, women business owners, and soon, vocational education. FEJ is committed to serving, training, and employing diverse members of the local community. Our guiding philosophy on childcare determines the quality of the staff to be hired and the ways in which staff interact with the children and their families.

Mission of Institution Mixte Lucienne A. Duncan

The mission of the school is to address and reduce the growing literacy gap of impoverished children and their families in Lamardelle. Our goal is to ensure that every child has access to basic education programs that emphasize learning, adapt to fit the student’s needs, and provide a structure of caring and support. Specific programming goals include:
  • Improving literacy skills among a diversity of children and ages
  • Encouraging the development of higher-order thinking skills
  • Increasing parental knowledge and involvement in the development of their children’s literacy
  • Promoting tolerance and understanding by using multicultural literature designed to teach problem-solving and commonality of the human experience
  • Improving children’s instructional skills as well as orienting them in practical skills such as sewing, embroidery, arts and crafts, and rural farming
  • Supporting gender equality and addressing inequalities that remain between girls and boys
  • Allowing each child to thrive to his/her optimum potential

Maternity

Each year, thousands of women worldwide die due to pregnancy-related complications. Poor countries are affected the most. Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rate (630 deaths per 100,000 live births) compared to the average for the Caribbean (99 deaths per 100,000 live births).

Research shows that the reduction of maternal mortality is facilitated by skilled attendance at birth. Yet, only 25% of Haitian women are seen by qualified medical staff during childbirth. This percentage drops significantly to 10-15% in rural regions. This alarming situation has many causes including socioeconomic status, lack of education, inaccessibility of quality health care, geographic and cultural barriers, and a national health system that fails to meet the needs of the entire population.

FEJ’s Maternity Project aims to strengthen the institutional care of pregnant women at the Community Clinic Enfant Jesus. Lamardelle has a high rate of maternal deaths. Almost all pregnant women living in the Lamardelle region (90 percent) give birth at home without the assistance of qualified personnel. The Maternity Project seeks to change this.

Objectives and Strategies

Our goal is to reduce the rate of maternal and neonatal mortality by decreasing the percentage of births at home by 50% and increasing the use of qualified medical staff during childbirth. Three specific objectives have been defined:

  • Establish basic emergency obstetrics care (SOUB) at the community clinic.
  • Engage 75% of pregnant women using these services.
  • Provide education about children’s and women’s health.
The Maternity Program also provides education to all pregnant women and the general public on the importance of institutional delivery. Our team includes a midwife, 25 matrons from the community, a doctor, social worker, health agents and community agents.

FEJ also partners with a network of midwives and field staff already in place. The traditional midwives will be refocused on awareness and community mobilization. FEJ will provide a financial incentive to the midwives (twice the amount received for a delivery) to motivate them to bring pregnant women to the clinic. Regular support meetings will also be held each month.